UKC

Hi Guys

As some of you will know, I have been fighting cancer for the past couple of years.

Without going into the gory details,part of the treatment was a major bum operation which left my body slightly altered and with permanent low level bum pain.

As well as being a climber, I am a passionate MTBer and I remember the consultant sitting behind his desk baldly and confidently stating that I would definately never ride a bike again.

Well have a look at this video and perhaps we shouldnt always believe the doc?

youtube.com/watch?v=knaA4YAfm5w&

If you enjoyed that and feel like sponsoring me for various cancer charities, have a look at my UKC premier post here

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=510866&new=6929447#x6929447

Thanks for your time

Valar morghulis

David

In reply to David Hooper:

Too right. After a double mastectomy many years ago and a constant battle with cancer, my mum was told she only had a couple of years to live. She finally died 20 years later.

May the same be true of you

In reply to David Hooper: An inspiring video, David, and a reminder that no matter how tough things get better times can be just around the corner. Thank you for sharing it with us.

In reply to David Hooper: I found my doctors and specialist to be very honest and informative when I had cancer.

They told me worst and best case scenarios and the likelihood of each outcome as best they could with the statistics they had.

I was very impressed.
They deal in statistics because they don't know the individual and they cannot account for luck.

In reply to David Hooper: Nice one David. I'm sure it's those dodgy hippy dreads that do it. Like Sampson, your strength is all in the matted gungy hair rather than your arse!

Keep on keeping on, and enjoy the bikes!

In reply to David Hooper:

Nice one David, stay positive and keep at it!

In reply to David Hooper:
Delighted youare back on form and defying the expectations.

I used to be in the medical industry - medical devices rep in orthopaedic reconstruction - and when you get past the veneer of the subservience we all hold towards doctors and consultants some of the practices are quite frankly negligent. I saw some horrific decisions that were absolutely not in the patients best interest and in some cases, downright negligent. Doctors need to start to understand that they serve us and are not there to serve themselves. Again, I have first hand experience of the attitude of some doctors/consultants and they are in it for themselves.

On a personal note, I had a misdiagnosis of pre-cancerous cells which fortunately had not developed. I saw two GPs and a consultant dermatologist who all got it wrong and it was only when I saw a junior urinary doctor who spotted it and sent it off for analysis and it came back as carcinoma in-situ. This was 3 years after the GP and dermitologist got it wrong.

I should also mention that one doctor also told my daughter she had a strong liklihood of skin cancer which was completely wrong.

As I have experience in a few clinical disciplines, I never ever take the first opinion as red any more. Some just dont deserve the letter after their names.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

You remind me of the two BUPA health checks I had.

First one - Doctor prods my armpit and tell me I have a lump and should get it checked out. I couldn't feel a thing but thought the doctor knew best. Turned out, she didn't. I worried for weeks about that.

Second one - ECG was seriously abnormal so I was called back in. Different consultant chatted to me for a while, realised I was perfectly healthy and said he thought someone had actually put the pads on wrong and that it happened "all the time". Second ECG was fine. Jeez....

In reply to David Hooper:

Absolutely brilliant, David.

Have you shown this to your GP..?!



Cheers and have a good one

In reply to David Hooper:

"Stuck it to the Man" good and proper.

Must be a huge step forward to know you can ride your favourite place. I assume you were on the P7.

In reply to Frogger:


PS a phrase springs to mind I recall after being given poor advice five years ago. I was diagnosed with a couple of conditions and was told that there would never be any more biking, hiking or climbing. They were wrong, of course, I felt I could do stuff and then found that being active helped me get through it all....


"Who knows one's limitations, other than thyself?"

In reply to Horse: yes on the P7 but upgraded with a Cane Creek Thudbuster suspension seat post,an amazing bit of engineering that really works.

I would recommend one to any hardtail fan who has back pain or lowerbody problems - they really do work.

Also I've spoken to Orange about my situation and they are building me a one off custom Gyro 29er to exactly my own specs - I cannot wait

In reply to David Hooper:

If you were really cheeky you'd get them to let you in the factory while they build it

You'll have to post some pictures when you get it.

In reply to David Hooper:

Great!

In reply to David Hooper:
Good going dude!!! Just goes to show a positive mental attitude can overcome the odds.
BTW love the dreads!!

In reply to David Hooper:

Awesome stuff. Chuffed for you. And Qudos for Orange too - top firm.

In reply to David Hooper: Well done David, glad you're able to get out and enjoy it again!

In reply to David Hooper:

They're just fallible humans. I know they rarely like to admit it, and try to play the 'omniscient doctor', but they don't know it all. I think of the consultants I've seen, there's only one I'd take seriously (and who took me seriously, and treated me as a partner in crime); the rest seemed to be bluffing their way, and had no real idea what was wrong with me. When the last one I saw tried to do the "there there, don't worry your little head looking things up" routine, I pointed out that I too was a consultant, with 27 years professional experience, in a different, but equally technical field, and that I understood perfectly well about the use of diagnostic tests and results...

Glad to hear you're defying their predictions. Long may it continue.

In reply to David Hooper:

Good man, thats such great news! Really please for you.

In defence of Drs, outwith the potential physically inhibitory side effects of your kind of operation, many patients do not respond positively and adopt varying illness behaviours in which they are unlikely return to previous levels of function. In criticism of Drs, recognising what I've just said it is obligatory to be encouraging to people about the possibilities after their operation, and your surgeon clearly was not encouraging, which must have made you feel really shit, so I apologise on behalf of my profession for that!!

In reply to David Hooper: You know your body better than any doc. you seem to be the sort of person who wont be told no, fight it all the way and hopefully you will inspire others to do more who currently think its all over.

In reply to David Hooper: Just like any profession a proportion of what drs do is bollocks. some is well meaning bollocks some is uninformed bollocks. Compared to science much of what doctors do is art in other words bollocks look at the turner prize

Sometimes we say things to challenge patients to prove us wrong. No one that climbs can resist a challenge.

Doctors love to be proved wrong by their patients but if you ask a question they can either answer it with a guess or not answer it at all and people need answers.

I sure hope the bald and confident man who sat behind the desk would be happy to see this and change his statement next time from 'there is no way you will get back on a bike' to 'well it will be bloody difficult but there was this one bloke...

well done and good luck

In reply to David Hooper:

Of the oncologists ive seen working, none of them have ever spoken in finite terms - they always talk in percentages. I'm sorry to hear your doctor gave you such rubbish information.

Im even more happy to see you stuck one finger up at them figuratively!

PS your video inspired me to get out on my bike today and i had a lovely time, so thanks for that!

In reply to David Hooper: Good to see you fightin' back - must be an amazing feeling! Like you, I've been told I would never be able to do certain 'stuff' and I'm defying everything they said.

Inspiring mate - keep it up!

In reply to David Hooper:

I wish that our only acquaintance last year had been under less debated clouds as your personality really shines.

Hahahahahaha never mountain bike again, your arse!?! Keep working it mate.